Austria
Roderich Edelstein represents the nation of Austria in Hidekaz Himaruya's manga and anime franchise Hetalia. Once a dominant power in medieval Central Europe, he has transformed over time into a relaxed, music-loving aristocrat. Known for his refined demeanor, soft-spoken manners, and personal eccentricities, he remains a central figure among the European nations in the series, frequently interacting with countries like Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland.
Overview
Roderich Edelstein represents the nation of Austria in Hidekaz Himaruya's manga and anime franchise Hetalia. Once a dominant power in medieval Central Europe, he has transformed over time into a relaxed, music-loving aristocrat. Known for his refined demeanor, soft-spoken manners, and personal eccentricities, he remains a central figure among the European nations in the series, frequently interacting with countries like Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland.
Appearance
He is a young man with dark brown short hair parted on his right side and combed back, accompanied by purple eyes and a distinctive mole near his mouth. He wears glasses, which render his facial features rather plain when removed. On his head is a notable ahoge representing Mariazell that alters its shape based on his emotional state. His wardrobe includes military uniforms, shirts with an ascot tie, gloves, and a hidden cross pendant underneath his clothes.
Personality
Despite his aristocratic background, he possesses a quiet, mild-mannered, and slightly eccentric personality. He maintains an extremely polite standard of speech using formal language at all times, even when expressing anger. Contrary to his wealthy image, he is deeply frugal, often mending his own damaged clothes. He is an indoorsman with poor physical stamina, suffers from a terrible sense of direction, and harbors a strong dislike for marine creatures such as crabs and starfish.
Abilities
He is an exceptionally talented musician skilled at playing the piano and violin, frequently using musical composition as an outlet for his emotions. Additionally, he is a talented baker and cook who possesses the ability to adapt various international dishes into an Austrian style, though his cooking process is sometimes accompanied by loud explosion sounds due to his overly meticulous nature.
Background
Born into an era of war, he originally functioned as a fighting nation before relying on diplomatic marriages and political alliances to survive, gradually evolving from an arrogant ruler into a relaxed gentleman. Having once held a central position within the Holy Roman Empire, his long history of territorial absorption and diplomatic shifts shaped his current lifestyle, where he spends most of his time indoors immersed in classical music, sweets, and coffee.
Relationships
He shares a complex bond with Germany, relying heavily on him to the point that Germany's illnesses physically affect him as well. He maintains a long-standing rivalry with Prussia, who seized territory from him in the past. Hungary has been his close companion and former marriage partner since the Middle Ages. In his youth, he was close friends with Switzerland, though their relationship grew strained over time. During his time running his household, he employed a young Italy as a servant, mistaking him for a girl until Italy's voice changed.
Trivia
His trademark scolding phrase originated from insults thrown at him by Switzerland during their childhood. In modern times, he frequently gets distressed over being confused with Australia, which once led to an unsuccessful attempt to change his Japanese name spelling to avoid the mix-up. His human name assigned by the author is Roderich Edelstein.
